Country 93

Movin' GB Bus Service Extended

Twice-weekly route's future was uncertain after new provincial government came to power

Grey County plans to extend its Movin' GB bus service until the end of December.

County Director of Social Services Barb Fedy says the bus that goes from Owen Sound to Shelburne twice a week is a huge help to some.

"Seniors, persons with disability and especially low income, they don't have other options. In addition to that, we have lots of communities that don't have other options to provide service," says Fedy.

The bus route's future became uncertain when the new provincial government came into power and put a hold on funding for the service as it does line-by-line audits.

Movin' GB is a free pilot project that started in April 2017. It has been extended twice. The county hopes the province will continue the funding and one day would like to expand to other routes.

Fedy says the previous provincial government had committed $1.85 million in funding to transportation initiatives like this one and the County had agreed to apply for some that money.

Fedy says they aren't sure what will be decided by the province once the review is done sometime in November.

Fedy says without that funding they can't sustain the bus service, "It's clear, we just do not have the funds available."

"The challenge is the transition to the new government and the fact that we don't have the funds in-hand, we aren't sure what that looks like, after the line-by-line review."